North Dakota
Change Agent States

Background / History / Commitments

The goals of the Change Agent States are:

• to build the capacity of the Land Grand system to function inclusively and effectively in a multicultural world
  • to set standards and implement a vision for supporting healthy, thriving, culturally diverse communities through Extension, research and academic programs.

  The six objectives to achieve these goals are:

  1. Establish a national mechanism to support ongoing, sustainable change in the Extension Service and Land Grant system

  2. Develop effective state leadership for addressing diversity issues  

  3. Improve the diversity profile at county and state levels  

  4. Foster a system that values differences  

  5. Manage diversity skill development in the Extension System  

  6. Strategic Diversity Management

  ECOP: Extension Committee for Organization and Policy
  1987 held dialogue on Diversity leading to a 1988-90 Task Force on Diversity in Extension

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  PODC: Personnel and Organization Development
  1990 Task Force on Diversity report to PODC led to formation of implementation group (SED) and "Pathway to Diversity" strategic plan for Extension's Emphasis on Diversity

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  SED: Subcommittee on Extension Diversity
  Mission - "Facilitate and monitor the implementation of Emphasis on Diversity in CES to achieve and sustain diversity and pluralism

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  CASD: Change Agent States for Diversity with seven state catalyst teams
  1999 RPF, review and selection of eight states to participate in a three-year consortium to address issues of diversity and pluralism within their states and to act as change agents, modeling effective strategies for others.
  Northeast - New York, Pennsylvania
  South - North Carolina
  North Central -  North Dakota, Missouri
  West - Colorado, Arizona

  Collaboration

  In the pursuit of synergistic relationships the CAS is researching organizations interested in sharing efforts, resources, or support toward common goals in a mutually beneficial relationship.

  Assessment

  To measure progress in embracing diversity, we must know what we look like now, how we behave, and how our organization operates so that we can identify and celebrate changes as they occur. This will be accomplished in two steps.

  The Organizational Profile is the first step in setting this baseline from which change can be measured. For the most part, the profile asks for data that is contained in each state's employee and volunteer information management systems.

  The second step in developing an Organizational Profile will involve administering a diversity climate survey to individual employees, tabulating the results and then sharing them with individual CAS members. The survey will look at employee's comfort with diversity, their individual experiences, attitudes and actions and perceptions of organizational support.

  The Organizational Profile will be of greatest value in setting each state's own specific goals regarding diversity. In compilation with data from the other partners, it will also aid CAS in measuring project impacts and assessing the potential for change throughout the Land Grant System. Completing the profile will also fulfill one of the minimum requirements of each state's participation in the CAS Project.

Go to NDSU Change Agent States for Diversity Home Page